Crisis
by One Dayfly Fortuna
Summary: Relena is the Foreign Minister and has a very dangerous situation on her hand. She has to try a diplomatic way to save the situation but is that enough? She knows that she needs help and everyone will honour her call.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.**

Chapter 1: An ordered chaos.

Again the phone rang, it was probably the thousandth time.

"Peacecraft" Relena said without really looking up from the document in front of her.

"Relena..."

Relena nearly choked when she heard that voice, it had been so long ago.

"Heero..." She said, "There is only one reason for your call." She tried to cover the sarcasm and hurt in her voice.

"Anything new on the L5-CX978?" He asked bluntly.

"Nothing you already know." Relena answered, looking at the documents intently, "There is a briefing at 8 pm tonight. Hilde has contacted everyone but it's not easy to find them. I'd like you to come as well." She said looking out of the window.

"That goes without saying. I have spoken to Trowa and Quatre already. They agreed to come."

"Well, then there's nothing left to do. I'll see you then." Relena now desperately trying to end the conversation before she really choked.

"I'll see you tonight." He almost whispered and Relena found herself hanging up before she could say goodbye.

She fell limp in her chair and tried for a few minutes to catch her breath. It was nearly 10 am and there was tons of work to do but she needed her coffee-shot. She stood up and walked to the office next to hers.

"Hilde, I'm going to get some coffee. You fancy one?"

"Yes, if you could bring me a large chocolate-chip coffee..." Hilde said appearing from behind a very large pile of papers.

"Of course." Relena said nodding, "How you're holding up?"

"Well, I'm doing fine but with this new L5-CX978 thing... It's like hell is breaking loose." Hilde sighed.

"Don't worry if you don't finish it today, that's fine." Relena said reassuring her secretary and best friend.

She walked towards the elevators and went down to the third floor, where Starbucks was situated. She took a deep breath when she smelled the the fresh coffee beans.

'God, let it all be a false alarm' Relena thought hopeful but deep down she knew Heero wouldn't have called if there wasn't something seriously wrong.

Relena in her position as Foreign Minister had to take some measures against the outrageous behavior of the L5-CX978 colony.

The colony had literally kicked the ESUN-ambassador from their colony. It had denied the Preventers access and had already shot at one of the shuttles with peace-representatives. Luckily it missed the shuttle but Relena's concern was far greater than the actions taken.

The special unit of the Preventers had discovered that there was a lot of metal and arms coming in L5-CX978. It was a large colony with an even larger history. It was one of the the few that had rebelled against the peace-treaties just after the war had ended.

She was walking back overthinking it all when she came to the conclusion that she had to go there. She was probably the only one who could fix this.

"Hilde, I want the ESUN-ambassador on the phone." Relena said while giving her her coffee.

"Working on it!" Hilde said, all smile and brightness. That's why Relena had asked her to be her secretary. Hilde was smart, passionate and always cheerful. She was Relena's confidante and Relena knew she could trust her.

"Yes, Ambassador Smith, I would like you to keep quiet about your, what can I say, unfortunate experience with the L5-CX978 colony. If the press gets a whif of what's going on, we're doomed."

"Yes ma'am, but..."

"I will not take no for an answer. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, I understand you are on your way to earth, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Then I want you at the briefing of 8 pm tonight at the Preventer's Headquaters in London."

"I'll be there."

Without any further words Relena hung up and resumed her work.

The rest of the day was very busy and although Hilde got a lot of phone calls about the colony. It was nothing to worry about. Around 1 o'clock Duo dropped by to say he reached Wufei, who was more than happy to see him. But both Hilde and Relena laughed at him after that comment.

"What?! Wufei is always happy to see me, in his own special way..." Duo added the latter comment very quietly with a mischievous smile playing around his lips.

"So are you coming and grab a bite at Donnelly's?" He asked his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I think I need a break. Relena, care to join us?" Hilde said smiling.

"Well, I have a lot of work to do. You guys spend some quality time together, but promise me to get one of those delicious sandwiches... Burt has a knack of exactly knowing how I want it." Relena said, picturing that delicious sandwich.

"I'm sure, he does..." Duo said laughing and Hilde nudged him.

"See you in half an hour."

While she was typing a document concerning a new law about the Preventers access to secret files, Relena got a pop-up for her email. She immediately opened the new mail and as she was reading her hand reached out to the phone. When she was finished, she speed-dialed Hilde mobile-phone.

"Hilde."

"I need you to come back immediately." That was all Relena needed to say.

5 minutes later, Hilde and Duo rushed in and found Relena looking at the screen of her computer.

They both read the email and suddenly everything was going topspeed. Duo was calling Colonel Une and Hilde was talking to Milliardo.

Both were standing in her office within 30 minutes.

"Relena, This is serious. The security around you has to be doubled." Milliardo said.

Une was nodding her approval.

"The briefing is at 8 pm, so it will probably late at night when it's over. So I'm asking you to stay in the office tonight. The fifth floor has the accomodations for it and this way you'll be much safer." Une said very business-like.

Relena sighed but agreed nonetheless.

8 PM, London, Preventers Headquaters.

"Ok, everyone. Let's begin."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.**

Chapter 2: A mischievous plan.

They were locked for more than 3 hours now and still they were not one step further to a solution for the L5-CX978 colony.

"Ok, let's have a break for half an hour." Relena said while standing up, "Without our shot of caffeine we will be here untill daybreak."

She looked at mostly familiair faces.

Colonel Une as Chief of the Preventers; Milliardo as Commander of the Protective Army Unit; Noin as Adviser of Peace Keeping Forces; the ESUN-ambassador for inside information of the colony and the five Gundam Pilots, for their opinions and information.

Hilde went to get her a cup of coffee but Relena stayed where she was at the head of the table. She was looking at the large screen coming from the beamer. She didn't notice that a pair of dark blue eyes were observing her.

She was lost in thought while almost calculating the information on the screen. Suddenly she moved, looking up into the dark blue eyes of Heero.

"Call everyone together at once." She said to him and she started to scribble some random thought on a piece of paper.

Within a few minutes everyone looked at Relena with anticipation.

"Right, pretending that I never had that threat, I could go there." Relena spoke up firmly, looking and waiting for a statement from the others. But everyone remained silent.

"Well, Maybe this is exactly what they want us to do. Protect the Foreign Minister and go defensive. But I think that they have to be pressurized. Make them so sorry for the trouble they got us in. I want to take the President of the ESUN with me in case they think we aren't serious. While I'm there, I want you, Colonel Une and Commander Peacecraft, to prepare your forces. Noin, your troops have to begin an infiltration in the colony. Not in uniform."

"Not in uniform? What do you mean by that, Minister?" Noin asked intrigued with the plan the young woman had come up with.

"I want them stand by in case of a violent action against the diplomates, like myself and the President. So my security is with that not an object anymore. You, Ambassador, are coming with me when we start the negotiations as my right hand."

"What do you need us for then?" Wufei stated as he was getting annoyed.

"You, Wufei, will go together with Sally so you can start a hospital inside the colony. You need to find out what the citizens think of this whole plan of their representative. Make sure that they know we don't want to harm them and let them spread the word. The same thing goes for you as well, Trowa. Take Catherine with you and the rest of the circus if you want to."

Trowa nodded and Wufei shrugged his agreement.

"You, Quatre, are coming with me as my adviser and personal bodyguard. Of course Hilde, you will be at my side at all times." Relena said smiling because she began to see the approval of everyone on their faces.

"And so,...Heero and Duo, I want you to infiltrate the rebels main headquaters. I know this all is in a very short time period so I'll give you all four days before I leave to the colony. Questions?" Relena ended her game scheme with a look of anticipation.

"Do you want someone to shadow Governor Thompson?" Heero asked.

"Well... Coming to think about it....No. No, I don't think that's a good idea. Or it must be done with the utmost secrecy. It's not my primary concern now. He is probably a puppet of the rebels."

"Well then, I think this meeting is finally over." Milliardo said. Everyone began to gather their documents, maps and laptops.

"Eh...Milliardo, please could I go home? I am completely exhausted. I just want to sleep in my own bed." Relena asked her brother softly, who was sitting right beside her.

"Relena, I don't think that such a good idea." Her brother answered hastily. She sighed, given up at once. She was such too tired to argue about it. And Milliardo pushed Noin and himself out the room.

"Relena?" Quatre asked, "Where do you want me to be tomorrow?"

"Oh...If you could help Hilde and me with the planning of the trip, then I suppose if you come around my office at 8 then we can go trough the details." Relena said rubbing her head.

"Hilde, first thing in the morning I want President Baker on the phone and make sure I can speak to him later that day in his office for more than an hour." Relena said to Hilde as Quatre left the room with Colonel Une and the ambassador, "Enjoy your time left with Duo, don't worry too much." Relena winked at her best friend.

Hilde left with Duo, Wufei and Trowa. When Relena turned around, she almost bumped into Heero, who appeared to be standing directly behind her.

"I'm sorry!" Relena stammered but Heero just shrugged and gave her a lazy sexy smile.

"I don't mind."

Did she really heard that? Was he flirting?

Heero knew as soon as the words came out of his mouth that he made a mistake. Relena looked at him in shock. It had been just a reflex, a flirty comment to break an awkward moment.

"Well then neither am I." Relena blurted out and immediately ashamed, started blushing.

Heero gave her smile, a small tugging around his lips.

"Duo and I will report to you on the day you arrive at the colony, ok?" He said to her. She nodded.

"I think that Hilde would like that. I'll tell her that tomorrow."

"Take care of yourself, Relena."

"You too, Heero." He immediately felt something stir in his stomach. His name over her lips made him always feel....alive.

She gave him a lovely smile and wished him goodnight.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.**

Chapter 3: Looking back and standing still.

The next four days had the speed of a locomotion. Everything happened so fast, Relena was amazed by her own competence of keeping up with everything that went on. Everyone was in position and everything was going smooth. And Relena was feeling unnerved by it. She always found it a good thing if something went wrong because then she knew the whole operation wasn't tampered with. The President of the ESUN had approved of Relena's plan but he couldn't make it the first day of the negotiation. But he would be with her the rest of the negotiations.

Relena knew that Noin had her operation ready for action and she and Milliardo assured Relena that with the slightest unrest, they would move into action.

Colonel Une coordinated the army outside the colony's boundries. She was only a phonecall away so Relena or the President could give her a cart blanche.

Wufei and Trowa were already sending in reports on the condition of the colony.

The only two Relena hadn't heard from since the meeting, were Heero and Duo. Hilde was getting more jumpy by the second and Relena had offered her to sleep over at her house. Hilde had all too soon agreed and now Relena could hear Hilde's steady breathing in the room next to hers.

She couldn't sleep and by now she had seen the clock turn two, three and four o'clock. Knowing she probably couldn't get her much needed rest anyway, she got out of bed and went to the kitchen.

When she sat down with a mug of hot chocolate, her thoughts drifted to the brown-haired man that over this few years had invaded her dreams at night and her thoughts in daylight. She was now twenty-three years old and while she had a few boyfriends, she still had not been able to forget those dark-blue Prussian eyes. She knew quite well that not the journey before her was making her nervous. It was seeing him again that got all her senses on highspeed. Besides she was worried sick about him. She wished that she had given him and Duo a different mission. She and Hilde had been complete wrecks these last few days.

Suddenly she heard the door to the kitchen open and Hilde appeared. Her hair was messy and her eyes looked tired.

"Hey..." Relena said standing up and without a word started to make her best friend a mug of hot chocolate. Hilde seated herself opposite of Relena.

"I hope he's fine, Relena..." Hilde whispered when she held her mug. Relena's eyes were full understanding. Hilde had been very jumpy because Duo was always the one who made her feel at ease. Right now, she was on the verge of tears. Relena suspected for quite sometime now that Hilde and Duo were engaged. She walked around the kitchen table and pulled Hilde in a warm embrace.

"He's going to be fine. Tomorrow he walks in the room, sweeping you of your feet with a loving kiss." Relena whispered and she felt Hilde was crying.

"I love him so much....I can't....I....I just can't bear...the thought of him being alone and hurt..." Hilde stammered sniffling.

"But sweetheart, that's where you're wrong. Heero is with him. He will make sure that Duo is safe and sound." Relena said looking at Hilde so she got the message, "Duo is his best friend, believe it or not. They look after each other."

Hilde nodded and a small smile appeared on her red face. She seemed a bit calmed down. They both sat down and drank a few minutes in silence.

"Now tell me, Hilde, are you engaged?" Relena broke the silence.

Hilde suddenly seemed very busy with her mug.

"Hilde?" Then Hilde started to smile brightly.

"Yes, we are... It was so romantic!" She started to talk animated.

"Tell me." Relena said dying to hear the whole story.

They talked till dawn and then decided to prepare, for Quatre would be at Relena's in just an hour or so.

Ting! Dong!

"He's early!" Hilde shouted from the bathroom. Relena, who was combing her hair at that moment, ran down the stairs to open the door for Quatre.

"I'm sorry, Quatre! We have trouble getting ready this morning!" Relena said while running up again.

"Fine, are your bags packed already?" Quatre shouted.

"Almost!" The girls answered back and there erupted a laughter that returned into much more busyness.

Quatre sighed and looked helpless to the driver, who was supposed to take their bags to the car.

Ten minutes later, the girls walked very elegantly down the stairs and handed their bags over to the driver. They both hugged Quatre tightly and thanked him for his patience.

They looked relaxed, something that suprised Quatre.

When they were in the car, they started babbling again. And their relaxed act faded in the blink of an eye. Quatre found out Hilde and Duo were engaged because Relena couldn't stop hinting things like what a pretty flowers along the road.

"Just the kind you want on you're wedding...." Relena then said while Hilde started giggling like a little girl.

But as soon as Quate asked her, Hilde retorted with the implication he and Dorothy were involved.

"No way! Is that true, Quatre?" Relena asked already on the edge of her seat for a long time interrogation.

'This is going to be a very long journey....'

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.**

Chapter 4: Arriving and acclimation.

The shuttle arrived at 1900 hours exactly. Relena, Hilde and Quatre were brought to their hotel and were showed to their rooms. Relena had made plans to speak to the Governor Thompson in private at 2030 hours so Hilde and she, who were sharing a suite together, now had only 30 minutes to get ready.

When Quatre knocked on the door, the girls were ready to rock as Hilde stated it.

They walked down the corridor and Quatre gave Relena an update.

"Ok, I have checked with everyone. Wufei and Trowa would like a word with you tomorrow morning before you get into meeting. Your brother asked how you're doing and they are fully prepared for everything. They have taken your security very highly and the hotel staff has been cooperating with them very greatly."

"That reminds me... Hilde, could you arrange a meeting with the hotel manager for tonight? I just want to thank him. Let him come to our suite." Relena said to her secretary, who was already on the phone, nodding to her.

"The ambassador is just a floor down and lets you know he will be with you at eight-thirty, just to go over some things. I'm on shift for the first part of the night and after that someone appointed by Milliardo will take over."

"Quatre! You're not taking the night-shift. You need your rest." Relena said worried about her good friend.

"Relena... The guys are coming to see you and Hilde tonight and that's why they want me on the watch..." Quatre whispered quietly. Relena did not turn to look at him but spoke very softly.

"When did they contact you?"

"Last night. I have spoken to them both." Quatre answered and he knocked politely on the door, leading into the chambers of the Governor.

They walked in and Relena was greeted by the smell of flowers.

"Foreign Minister Peacecraft, welcome to L5-CX978." Governor Thompson said with a slight blush on his cheeks, which revealed his ashamed feelings.

"Thank you, sir. I only hoped it was in different circumstances." She said and behind her back Hilde and Quatre exchanged looks of admiration. Relena had made her feelings about this whole crisis clear in the first minute of their meeting.

The Governor nodded and avoided Relena's cold blue eyes in embarrassment.

"Yes, you're right. I also hoped we could meet in a more peaceful manor. But unfortunately, your politics forced us to take drastic measures."

"Then I suggest, you repeat these exact words to the President when he has arrived tomorrow." Relena immediately gaining her ground after such an insult.

The eyes of the Governor grew wide in shock, which indicated that he did not know the President was coming. But he seemed to recover himself and nodded his acknowledgement.

"I will. Tomorrow during the meeting I will explain my actions before we are going to negotiate." He said with a voice that indicated that the conversation had ended.

"Thank you very much for your time. Until our next meeting I wish you a goodnight." Relena said turning on her heels and purposefully walking to the door.

"I wish I could say the same." The Governor answered, an evil grin contorted his face all for sudden. Fortunately Relena didn't see this but both Hilde and Quatre felt a shiver down their spine with seeing this man's face.

They became very aware of the risk Relena had taken when she decided to come here in person. This man was a very good actor and he was going to be a lot of trouble.

Both the girls had been waiting with anticipation for over two hours when the clock changed its time for a new day to come. Hilde was sitting, more like hanging in a chair near the heating, fast asleep. Relena, who had been reading a few documents on her belly on the couch, had also been captured by her tiredness. Her face near the edge and one of her arms was dangling just above the ground.

The room was a complete mess. After meeting the Governor Relena came to her room just to thank the hotel manager for his warm welcome. The guy had took it upon himself to bring a cargo of food with him. He thought they might be hungry after such a long journey. They were indeed and thanked him for the gesture. Quatre asked if he could join them before his shift started and they ate quite a lot. But as a result of the time, for it was very late, nobody had come to clean up.

Suddenly the doorknob started moving, very slowly and very quietly. It slowly opened and a bright face, even if it was late, appeared peeking into the room. Duo pushed the door further open and he and Heero stepped into the room. They immediately checked the rooms for hidden cameras or microphones but the rooms were cleared. Only then they paid attention to the two sleeping girls. They hadn't woken up yet. Duo shook his head at their carelessness. Then he bowed to his fiancee and kissed her lightly on the lips, Heero looked away at the intimacy of the two and focussed his attention on Relena, who laid completely relaxed on the couch. He walked to her and kneeled in front of her. Unconciously he brought his hand up to her face and whispered her name softly.

"Relena..." Relena heard someone invading her dream, She didn't want to wake up now she was finally asleep. Then she heard a stumbling around her and her eyes shot open. She was greeted by the dark blue eyes of nobody else but Heero.

"Hey..." He mouthed to her because Hilde had woken up and she had grabbed Duo by surprise. And the chair had tumbled over and they both lay on the ground laughing eternally happy.

When a smile appeared around Relena's lips Heero found himself enchanted. Relena sat down and padded the seat next to her while looking at Duo and Hilde. Heero got the hint and sat down next to her, closer then Relena expected.

"Oh, Duo! I missed you so much!" Hilde said while they rearranged the furniture.

"Hey babe, I'm here now, aren't I?" Duo said pulling Hilde into an embrace.

"Yeah, but when do you have to go?" Hilde said against his chest but Duo seemed to be lost for words. So Heero answered for him.

"Three o'clock." Relena looked at Heero intensely and for a moment she thought she heard the regret in his voice.

"Then you should tell me what you have dicovered." Relena said, standing up and turning so that she could see both Heero and Duo. Hilde sat down on in the chair again and began rumaging some papers.

"We didn't infiltrate the base, where the rebels are holding up. However, we have someone in there." Heero started and Relena didn't really want to know how they had managed that, "We are quite sure that they are planning to take over the colony."

"How do they want to do that when we know the Governor is on their side?" Relena replied sharply. Heero and Duo seemed to be taken aback by that. Hilde looked up at Relena.

"I thought you thought that he was just a puppet?" Hilde interrupted.

"I thought you knew me better than this, Hilde. The moment I stepped in that room my instinct told me that whatever we are going to try tomorrow is useless already. It is only buying us some time. Am I right?" Relena spoke softly and at her last remark turned to Heero. He just nodded.

"They want war." Duo simply said and Hilde whirled around.

"Don't say that! We still have a chance!" Hilde said determined.

"No Hilde, we don't." Relena said knowing all too well why no one really protested when she announced she would be going to the colony. She had to be realistic.

"Relena?" Hilde's voice penetrated her thoughts. She found herself looking into three pair of eyes.

"I'm sorry what did you say?"

"You have to leave the colony tomorrow." Heero said, clearly repeating his statement.

"Hn." Relena mumbled and dumbly smiled a fake smile, turning away from them.

"What did you say?" Duo asked tentatively.

"Fine." Relena said short. She was annoyed, more than annoyed actually. She was furious. The problem was with who?

"Relena,.... You had to know this all along already, right?" Duo asked but when Relena's eyes fell upon him, Duo could have sworn that the temperature had dropped with 10 degrees.

"I don't want to hear one more word from the both of you." She spat and walked into her room, slamming the door behind her. The others looked at each other, not daring to say anything. Well, Hilde and Duo didn't dare, Heero however, looked not the least intimidated.

"I'll talk to her." He said and walked to the door. Without knocking, he disappeared inside.

Hilde and Duo held their breath but no shouting came and they resumed their own business. They had an vague idea about the whole situation and it probably was best not to listen at the door for it was a private conversation.

"Heero." She said standing at the window.

He didn't say anything. She turned to him and was somehow suprised by the way he was looking. He had sat down on a chair nearby the door, his hands covering his face.

It seemed something was bothering him or maybe he hadn't had that much sleep the last couple of days.

"Relena, do you have any idea in what kind of position you've put yourself in?" He asked, slowly looking up to see her, also sitting, on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, I know. You knew for one thing that there was no way you were going to keep me from coming here, didn't you?" Relena said, imitating his posture and leaning her forearms on her knees. Heero shook his head.

"Why in the world did you want to come here?" He asked again.

"To make a difference. I want the people to see that I...I am making an effort and not those guys, that call themselves leaders." Relena said reacting quite strongly, immediately rising for she was to emotional just to sit down.

"I thought you of all people knew what I stand for and what my motivations are, Heero." She spoke softly as if all hope was lost.

"I do know, the problem is that you constantly keep getting yourself in a situation that you can't get yourself out of!" Heero reacted as well standing up and striding towards her.

"Fine! I'll go back tomorrow. But not untill tomorrow evening, I need to come up with an excuse. I have to inform the President. If we do this then we will do it my way."

She was staring at him with a rock hard determination. Heero was at that moment cursing her stubborness. Didn't she understand that she was in danger and needed to get out of there as soon as possible!

He cursed under his breath.

"Ok, but if you see some vague stranger tomorrow. Then you have five seconds to get yourself out of where ever you are. Am I understood?" He said grabbing her shoulders to get the message trough.

"Yes!.." She answered her eyes wide with shock. Because now the situation really hit her and she realised she was in a terrible danger.

"Good." Heero said satisfied with the now apparant spark of fear in her eyes, "Be careful then." With that he turned around and walked out of the room.

"Come on, Duo. We have some business to take care of before we leave." He ordered Duo, who was sitting next to Hilde. Hilde and Duo had their hasty goodbye and then there were two.

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